BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Kandice is the Founder and Executive Director of the Alive Not-for-profit Center in Naperville, Illinois. The first organization of its kind, Alive aims to provide the community with an inclusive experience of learning, sharing, and discovery that enables people to connect with what makes them come alive.  From the merger with NaperBridge in January of 2015, Alive will have an even stronger teen program. 

Kandice is a Life Coach and Certified Yoga Teacher (CYT). After spending 25+ years as an executive in the corporate world at Accenture and IBM, she is now following her true passion – helping people to create the life they desire. Kandice is a graduate of Life Coaching school, Coach for Life. She also is a certified Heal Your Life Workshop Leader (Louise Hay’s work). She has her 200hr CYT from Moksha Yoga in Chicago and is currently obtaining her 500hr CYT through ParaYoga (Rod Stryker). She has a B.A. in Communications from the University of Illinois. 

Tina Hinch is a Senior Director of Engineering at Nokia.  She leads a global team of 500 engineers spanning 3 continents, developing next generation cloud-based software for telecommunications providers. She has 30 years of technical and executive experience in the industry, working at Bell Labs, AT&T, Lucent Technologies, Alcatel-Lucent and Nokia.  Her teams have blazed the trails through several “telecommunications revolutions” and provided top notch products and support to telco customers.  She is a U.S. Patent holder.   Throughout the years, Tina has served in an advisory capacity to many underrepresented groups in the work place, as well as provided one-on-one career coaching. She has served as keynote speaker and panelist in various forums, sharing her career experience in STEM. Tina moved to Naperville from Los Angeles after graduating from UCLA with a BS in Math/Computer Science and an MS in Computer Science and a two-year stint at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA.

 

Tina and her husband reside in Naperville. Both of their two adult children are employed and reside in warmer climates.

 

As Chief Human Resources Officer, Tiffany partners with the Executive Leadership team to design and execute the human
resources objectives that support The Mather Group’s growth and success. She also collaborates with all leaders to help ensure they attract, retain, and develop employees who contribute to the progress on those objectives. Tiffany joined TMG in June 2022, bringing more than 20 years of human resources experience in the financial industry. Immediately prior to TMG, she served as Director, U.S. Head of Human Resources for ABN Amro Clearing Chicago LLC. Additionally, her previous roles include Senior HR
Business Partner at PEAK6 Investments, HR Director at Morningstar, Associate, HR Business Partner at JPMorgan Chase & Co.,
and HR Specialist, Recruiting Coordinator at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Tiffany earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from the University of Iowa.
Personally, Tiffany is a proud wife to husband, Chad, and mom to triplet, 10-year-old boys Tyler, Bennett, and Ethan. In
addition to being an experienced HR professional for 20+ years, she also received a Life Coach Certification that she completed in 2020. In her spare time, Tiffany loves to entertain family and friends, and always finds time for a good work-out as that is
“therapeutic” as she describes it.

Edward has been a proud resident of Aurora’s Far Southeast side since 2004, when he and his wife had their home built. Engaging actively within the community, Edward has dedicated his time to various local organizations. In 2013, he was elected Alderman of Aurora’s Ninth Ward and successfully secured re-election in 2017 and 2021.

Adam has been an integral part of the Hanover Park community since joining Wintrust Bank in 2013. Raised in Chicago as the son of first-generation Mexican and Polish immigrant parents, his upbringing in the city enriched his understanding of diversity and the unique needs of various cultural groups. Following his graduation from UIC with a degree in Finance, Adam relocated to the Northwest Suburbs, where he began his career in the banking sector. In the aftermath of the 2009 recession, he shifted his focus towards financial literacy and counseling within the community.

Over the past 19 years, Chris has been dedicated to helping individuals achieve their most critical financial goals. In 1999, he initiated his financial services practice, catering to business owners, physicians, professional athletes, and key executives across the United States. Chris specializes in Life Insurance, Disability Income Insurance, Investments, and Tax Reduction Strategies.

Karina is the first female President & CEO of the Aurora Regional Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. She is also the first to be born outside of the United States and to become a Naturalized U.S. citizen. Mrs. Garcia is the owner of two local businesses. She is  the President of A&A Transportation 1 Inc., a growing transportation business in the construction industry and a business partner of CBG Renovators, an LLC real estate rehab corporation dedicated to purchasing and rehabilitating real estate. 

Born in Mexico City, at age 9, Karina was brought by her parents to the state of Illinois, which soon became the American Dream. Mrs. Garcia has always been an active member of her community. In 1995, she began to volunteer her time to the community and translate letters and take people to appointments to translate for them.  Mrs. Garcia served as a volunteer at World Relief, and at Accion Latina where she would teach U.S. residents the U.S.A. Constitution who were getting prepared to be tested to become U.S. citizens. The same year she started attending DePaul University for training in the immigration procedure. Mrs. Garcia served four years as a volunteer for the Aurora Hispanic Chamber of Commerce(AHCC) and was named Volunteer of the Year for two consecutive years in 2009 and in 2010 by the members of the AHCC. Mrs. Garcia has participated in “Toys for Tots”, “Matching Pallet” with the Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry and Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry, “Pampering our Woman” with Mutual Grounds, “LockUp” with the Aurora Puerto Rican Cultural Council and “Girls Run the World” with the Aurora Police Department.  Mrs. Garcia sat on the Advisory Board of the Interfaith Food Pantry, Board Member of the AHCC, Board Member of the Family Shelter Services, current Board Member of the Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry, current board member of the Aurora Puerto Rican Council, current board member of the APS Training Institute and current committee member of the Miss Fiestas Patrias DuPage. In 2014, Mrs. Garcia participated as an author in the first Today’s Inspired Latina Book where she shared her success story and now is a nationwide book.  

In her role as President & CEO, Mrs. Garcia focuses her time on the many issues affecting the Hispanic community. An unwavering characteristic of the President & CEO is her aptitude for showing caring and understanding in all that she does. Mrs. Garcia spends much of her time meeting with entrepreneurs, young professionals and business owners who come from all over the west suburbs. One of her recent achievements was meeting with a group of young professionals in Aurora to discuss the needs of our millennials and how she can cultivate resources that are needed.  Over the past five years she’s been invited to the schools to speak about her career and achievements, has also participated as a guest speaker at the “Multicultural Career Language” with West Aurora High School and was also invited to be “Principal for a Day” at Dist. 129, as well as with Girls Scouts of America, Mutual Grounds.

Mrs. Garcia was also the President & CEO for the non-for-profit  Aurora Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Dollars for Scholars(AHCCDFS) – a Program of Scholarship America, where she was the founder of Miss Fiestas Patrias Aurora and was able to give out more that $60K in scholarships in partnership with board members, St. Augustine College and the Aurora Hispanic Heritage Advisory Board. Karina was awarded by the AHCCDFS and by St. Augustine College for her outstanding support offered to both organizations. Mrs. Garcia launched a network called Mujeres in Business were they would meet once a month to promote women’s empowerment and each other’s product, they have brainstorm sessions, panelist, motivational stories of success and an annual Mujeres in Business Luncheon to award “Woman Who Have Lead by Example.” After several events the group grew to be the largest diverse network of women, which led Mrs. Garcia to shift the branding of the network to the next level. Knowing that this group had turned into the largest diverse group of women, to make it more inclusive and open for other opportunities for women, the name changed to International Women of Influence.

As a dedicated and long-term resident of Naperville, I have actively served the community in various capacities over the years. My commitment to public service is evident through my tenure as a Naperville City Council member from 2009 to 2019. Additionally, I have contributed to the City of Naperville Plan Commission from 2005 to 2009, demonstrating my involvement in shaping the city’s future.

My commitment extends to advocating for inclusivity and accessibility, as evidenced by my role as a Board Member on the City of Naperville Advisory Commission on Disabilities since 2012. Serving on the City of Naperville Special Events Committee, CAPS (Citizens Appreciate Public Safety), and the Naperville Healing Fields, I actively contribute to enhancing community engagement and appreciation for public safety.

In 2006, I played a significant role in the Centennial Beach 75th and Naperville Park District 40th Anniversary Aquathon Committee. Additionally, I co-chaired the Electric Light Parade as part of the Naperville 175th Birthday Heritage Committee. My involvement in the Naperville 175th Birthday Unity Committee as an area captain further showcases my dedication to community unity.

Having served as the President of the Westside Homeowners Association from 2002 to 2005, I demonstrated leadership and advocacy for local residents. As a director for the Naperville Area Homeowners Confederation in 2004-2005, I contributed to broader community initiatives.

My engagement spans various community groups and committees, including the Washington St. Corridor Study stakeholder group, Downtown DuPage River Trail stakeholder group, Centennial Park Skate Park Facility citizen committee, and the City of Naperville Comprehensive Transportation Plan work group, all in 2003. My commitment to community building is further highlighted by my role as a founding and current Board Member of Community First since 2000.

Beyond community development, I actively participate in environmental initiatives, being a Conservation Foundation member and an annual participant in the DuPage River Sweep. Additionally, I contribute to the legacy of Naperville North High School as part of the Class of 1983 Reunion Committee.

My multifaceted involvement underscores my dedication to Naperville’s growth, inclusivity, and overall well-being. I look forward to continued service and collaboration for the betterment of our community.

For over 30 years, Alisa has served all demographics of youth in grades K-12 throughout Fox Valley. Her passion is for middle and high school students, providing ministry, mentoring, and leadership training in various local churches, nonprofit organizations and through her own nonprofit, Envision You Ministries (EYM) which she founded in 2018. EYM serves fathers, women, and girls with the Abba Group, and the Beauty and Boot Camp. Alisa is employed at Ecolab and recently celebrated 20 years of service. She has worked in various capacities including Credit & AMP; Collections Management, Project Management,
Training, and Sales Administration. At Ecolab, Alisa has also served on the board of multiple Employee Resource Groups, promoting diversity throughout the nation. However, her most satisfying work was helping expand Ecolab’s reach to the local
community through its Community Relations Council. This is how she was introduced to the ALIVE Center many years ago. The “Teen-Led, Teen-Driven™” tag line caused her to connect, attend, and volunteer (and bring others to volunteer) with the organization.

Alisa’s educational background is from Lewis University in Romeoville where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management and a Master of Arts Degree in Organizational Leadership, with an emphasis in Training. As an avid learner, she most recently completed the Living Word Christian Center’s School of Ministry in Forest Park, IL where she earned her Ministry License. Alisa and her husband Charles, reside in Aurora, IL.

Marc Willensky is a retired finance executive with over 30 years’ experience at leading Fortune 500 companies, including JP Morgan, American Standard, and McDonald’s. He began his career at Arthur Andersen, where he earned his CPA and developed a deep foundation in financial strategy and organizational leadership.

Now dedicated to giving back, Marc was recently elected to the Naperville 203 School Board, where he is committed to supporting student success and educational excellence. He currently serves as a board member, and Treasurer of Accelerate Climate Solutions, where he plays an active role in the BLAST program – a hands-on initiative that empowers high school students to design and implement solutions to real-world climate challenges.

Marc also serves on the board of the River Prairie Group, the local chapter of the Sierra Club, where he continues to advocate for youth engagement in environmental action. His passion for mentoring and supporting high school students is central to his volunteer work and board service.